Vinyl flooring can be laid in self-stick tiles, glue-down tiles or as a single sheet of vinyl that covers the whole floor. Whatever method you use, the underlayment has to be smooth and flat. Unlike ceramic or other types of flooring, vinyl will transfer any peaks or valleys from the subfloor right up through the vinyl to the surface, so starting with a flat base is crucial. Plywood underlayment with taped seams will provide the flat base you need.
Instructions
1. Set a piece of plywood in one corner of the room. Leave a 1/2-inch space between the board and the two walls. This space will allow the wood to expand with climate changes, and must be kept all around the perimeter of the floor.
2. Shoot drywall screws into the surface of the plywood with a screw gun, putting one screw every 6 to 8 inches across the whole surface.
3. Lay the next sheet of plywood up against the first one. Butt the edges of the sheets tightly to one another. Leave ½ inch at the wall. Attach the plywood to the floor with drywall screws.
4. Repeat the process to lay additional plywood pieces, butting them to each other and keeping the space at the wall. Cut the last piece with a circular saw to fit.
5. Lay the next course of plywood sheets alongside the first, beginning at the opposite end of the floor so the ends of the plywood sheets are staggered between the rows. Repeat and continue, laying the sheets in staggered rows across the whole floor, while keeping the space around the perimeter at the walls.
6. Press mesh drywall tape onto the seams between the boards. Spread floor leveling compound over the tape with a drywall knife, getting it smooth and flat. Let it set overnight. The floor is now ready for vinyl installation.
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